Natalie:
As I was typing (ahh.. it's so much nicer here), you could consider these few things I learnt from testing out violins. First, you could consider the penetration of the sound. The sound has to be able to travel out and penetrate. It shouldn't like die halfway. Hmm.. How should I put it? For example, if you're playing in a hall, let's say there are 250 ppl, you would want the sound to be able to reach all of them, crystal clear. If you are able to do the same with 500 people, then the penetration would have increased. That's why some violins really cannot make it if you want to play in a large hall. Cannot be heard. Next, you might want to consider the edge of the sound. Edge, meaning, like cutting edge. Hmm.. Like, a blunt knife versus a sharp knife. A violin with a cutting edge would have a clearer sound, compared to ones that sound muffled. Personally, I like violins with good penetration and a relatively "sharp" edge. Next, different violins have different characters. Some are the "loud and rowdy" type, others may be the gentle, very marketable type. Those "loud and rowdy" types are harder to appreciate, and it goes a lot by personal preference. The marketable type is one that is generally acceptable in terms of it's penetration, edge and volume. Also, pick a violin that has a shape you can handle. Some violins have necks a little wider, and they may be harder to grasp easily. On the other hand, there are also some which feel like you're trying to strangle a chicken by it's neck. Oh ya. You may have heard that Italian violins usually more than 30k appreciate in value over time. But, never, never, never buy a violin because of that. In my opinion, quality of sound must come first. It is going to take like 100 years to appreciate to a significant value, and by then, that sum of money isn't going to be worth much in reality. It's only valuable on paper. If you are thinking of buying a considerably okay violin, ask about it's certificate. It is very important when you want to prove the worth of the violin. Certificates are only used when the violin is of a considerable quality (because the maker has to sign on it, and it also costs money for the shop to aquire his certificate, but it makes it more valuable at the same time), but it will help a lot if you ever want to sell it for a better one. The logic is, the violin has to be good enough if the shop decides to bother getting the certificate.It's like an investment, but you will earn from it. There are so many things. Maybe I'll tell you the rest in school. Just refer to Nov-Dec 2008.

Today, I went to school in the morning for 1 hour to play the computer game. NE quiz. I'm an Expert Builder. I missed the Master Builder by $2000, and I ended the game not using $16000. Maybe the government is secretly trying to identify all the Master Builders so they can groom them into potential leaders of Singapore. I felt so Singapore-ish after doing the long quiz. It was quite fun, considering it's actually propaganda. But they could have made it more educational by providing the correct answers rather than just telling us we got the question wrong, and that's it.

I met Jie Ying at 4.45pm to meet Melanie and Natalie later at 5+. We went to have dinner before going to to watch Chor Kwan and Elprada perform. While we were waiting for Melanie and Natalie to walk over to the bus stop, I tried tricking Jie Ying, or in a better way, testing my eyesight. I was facing in the wrong direction at first, Jie Ying later corrected me and told me they would be coming in the opposite direction. So I changed my lookout direction. Then here's the fun part. I told Jie Ying I could see Melanie and Natalie walking towards us. Then Jie Ying tried to scan the entire stretch of that sidewalk. She later gave up, concluding that she was too short. Then suddenly, after a while, Melanie and Natalie came walking from the other side. Jie Ying spotted them first and I nearly got myself strangled to death. But anyway, that was pretty hilarious, seeing JY trying so hard to find Melanie and Natalie.

After dinner, we took a bus down to SJI. We arrived 20mins early. However, when we reached, the school looked very empty and it didn't look like there was some concert going on. We were quite lost and we tried walking around the school. I called Chor Kwan for help and she was trying her best to locate us, but failed. Device not found. I told her we were at the field, then canteen, then near some large statues and under some crosses. She went hunting around but couldn't find us. We approached some boys for help and asked them where the chapel was. Two directed us to this scary building which we came across earlier. But it was really dark in there and there were no people walking in or out. Then another boy recommended some performing arts centre, but it was dark and looked as creepy as the chapel. We wandered around in the school like that until 7pm. Then Jie Ying said there were 2 SJIs in Singapore, and asked which we were in. Then Melani said it was SJI. She didn't know there was an international one. So for a while, we were in a shocked state, clueless about where we were. All of us walked past the big sign St. Joseph's Institution (no internation) but didn't even suspect anything wrong. After a while, we firgured we were in Bukit Timah and by then, the concert would have been starting. We quickly fled the school and went to cab down to SJI INTERNATIONAL.

The cab ride was quite... interesting. The taxi driver didn't know SJI International even existed. He asked me to give him a landmark. I can't remember directions by landmark. I can only remember the ways the roads connect, so I didn't quite know how to explain to him. I only remmebered seeing it while driving past it (no, I don't drive but you get what I mean). I told him it was somewhere near Thomson Road, near Far East Flora and Marymount Convent, but I wasn't even sure if I could trust my memory because I'm old and ageing, remmeber? Even Natalie's handphone map couldn't find the place. I tried calling my dad, but he didn't even know there was such a school called SJI International. I told him we passed it quite a few times before but he seemed very blur. Maybe he thinks the same way as me, cannot remember landmarks, but can remember road connections. Then I tried asking my grandmother. She diverted the question to the rest of the 7 people living in her house but it didn't work. She was like, "Huh?! S .. J.. What?... International arh.." But I think she really tried hard to help me because I recieved 4 missed calls from her. Then I tried Jean and mom but they are equally hopeless because I don't think they look out of the car window enough. In the end, we managed to reach. Managed to recognise the place and pick out the school along the way. But we ended up 25mins late.

The concert was alright. They performed part of the Messiah by Handel. Some parts were quite funny because they were out of tune and they looked like they were very bored on stage. But it was a good effort, considering what Chor Kwan told me about the rehearsals. Good job

After the concert, Jie Ying, Chorkwan, Elprada and I went to Thomson Plaza for supper/dinner. We went to Subway but they ran out of bread because of their very attractive promotion. So we had wraps. Chor Kwan and Elprada are too amused by our silly mistake. They kept laughing at Jie Ying and I for going to SJI instead of SJI International. JY's mom even predicted that we would make that mistake. But anyway, it was a great experience. I'm sure Melanie, Natalie, Jie Ying and I learnt an important lesson thorugh this rather fun adventure. Know where you're going.

Oh oh, this afternoon, the piano tuner came to tune the piano. It was quite surprising because nowadays, it's the piano tuners who ask if they can come down to tune the piano, instead of the owner asking them to come. That guy was supposed to come at 1pm. I started my violin practice at around 12pm but unfortunately, the piano tuning guy came earlier than expected and I didn't even know, so I continued practicing.

Piano tuner: Ma'am, could you please turn you radio volume down? I can't hear the piano properly.

Mom: Oh it's not a radio, it's actually someone doing violin practice

Piano tuner: Oh really? So good arh.. (I think he is tone deaf when it comes to violins) Then can you please close the door?

Mom: Hahaha.. The door is closed already..

Paino tuner: Oh so loud arh..

Then mom told me to stop practicing for a while. But it was so funny she can't stop laughing whenever she thinks about it. I was quite amused when she told me what went on outside.